Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s plans to complete a radical overhaul of Manchester United’s football department are set to be welcomed by Erik ten Hag as part of his desire to raise standards at the club, reports The Daily Mail.
Insiders told Mail Sport that Ten Hag has been somewhat discontented during his managerial tenure of 18 months at Old Trafford. The main points of contention seem to be muddled communication regarding player targets and budgetary restrictions, excessive player acquisition costs, and a scarcity of precise data.
Though the takeover guidelines have limited direct interactions, it hasn’t been ascertained if Ratcliffe and Ten Hag have had explicit conversations about the club’s future roadmap.
However, Mail Sport have been told by Ineos insiders that, despite the team’s lackluster performance this season, Ten Hag’s position remains secure. The recent injury spate within the squad is being considered as a substantial reason behind the team’s current form.
A past encounter between Ten Hag and Ratcliffe, owing to Ratcliffe’s stake in Nice, and a coincidental meeting at United’s Carrington training base this past March, further fuel speculations of a possible collaborative vision for the club.
Ratcliffe’s £1.3 billion bid for Manchester United, slated for a board review this week, is anticipated to receive Ten Hag’s nod of approval. This assumption is mainly based on Ineos’s commendable history of enhancing performance standards across various sports, including football.
Despite the managerial support Ten Hag has received, there remains an underlying sentiment of discord regarding United’s transfer proceedings. Vague budget outlines have often led to internal dilemmas concerning player targeting.
To illustrate, after an initial £60 million allocation, primarily exhausted by the acquisition of Mason Mount from Chelsea for £55 million, United’s total spend surprisingly shot up to £180 million, involving six players. Another instance is the inflated transfer sum for Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, which witnessed a hike from £50 million to £72 million during the negotiation’s final stages.
Yet, there’s an overarching belief within United’s ranks that the recruitment dynamics have seen positive shifts, especially since John Murtough’s induction as the football director. Murtough and Ten Hag have reportedly been operating in sync for the past year and a half, pointing to better coordination in the days ahead.
